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If you’ve ever considered a role in hotel
management, you might have heard that the pay isn’t
as good as many other management roles. While this
can be true, it really depends on your career aspirations,
the size and location of the hotel, as well as what
type and level of management you decide upon.
In most cases, the larger the hotel, the better
the pay. While certain boutique or resort style
hotels are the exception to the rule, it is typically
larger hotels, in more urban locations, that can
offer the better management salaries. If you are
looking for a higher rate of pay, then finance,
sales, human resources, and upper-level management
(i.e. general manager and assistant general manger)
type positions will certainly pay more, although
most department heads in a major hotel will still
make pretty good money, especially if there is a
bonus structure in place. But there are more perks
to having a career in hotel management than just
pulling down a decent paycheck, and these extras
can add up significantly over the long haul.
Bonuses
As I mentioned earlier, the pay isn’t always
top-notch in the hotel industry. However, many hotels
(especially those in larger hotel chains) offer
bonus programs that can supplement your yearly salary.
These bonuses are often based on customer service
scores and meeting revenue goals, hotel, and personal
goals. At times, these bonuses can equal as much
as thirty percent of your salary!
Free/discounted rooms
Many larger hotel chains will offer free or discounted
rooms to their staff when they travel. Some even
go so far as to offer ‘friends and family’
rates. This can save you hundreds of dollars when
you go on vacation and can make checking availability
and booking rooms at hotels much easier.
Free food
While free food might seem a strange benefit to
hotel work, when you start doing the math on how
much you spend on lunch each week, it can start
to add significant savings over the course of a
year. Many hotels offer free or reduced priced meals
to their management team and sometimes their line
level staff as well. While this doesn’t occur
in every hotel, as some don’t have the available
facilities or resources to feed staff members, in
the larger hotels, it is not an uncommon benefit.
Uniforms
Again, while receiving free or reduced cost uniforms
doesn’t happen everywhere, you’ll find
it more likely within major hotels. Certainly room
attendants, engineers, front desk, and wait staff
will typically have their uniforms provided, but
management may receive suites, ties, dress shirts
and other attire, for free, or at a discount.
A unique and exciting work
environment
For some, an interesting and unique work environment
that constantly keeps them on their toes can be
more important than certain monetary rewards or
freebies. In the hotel business, you’ll likely
have the opportunity to meet all kinds of interesting
people, from famous athletes, to various groups,
organizations, and companies – maybe even
actors or local celebrities! A great part of work
in the hotel business is that your daily work environment
is ever changing and there is almost always something
new going on.
Career variety and advancement
If you are looking for a career in which there is
plenty of room for advancement and a variety of
roles from which to choose, the hotel business could
be just what you’ve been searching for. Working
within the hotel industry, you’ll probably
a variety of career opportunities available in hotels
large or small, urban or rural, national or international.
With larger hotel chains, internal transfers are
often preferred to hiring outside candidates and
you’ll find that you are often encouraged
to look at positions outside of your department
of expertise to broaden your careers goals and expand
your level of experience.
If the hotel business sounds like it might be right
for you, check out the Hospitality
Schools directory today!
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